I've had to bring my 5 chicks in for handraising after their parents decided that hanky-panky was more fun than feeding the babies they already had. (I tried giving them extra time, taking the hen out in the hope that the cock would feed them, putting them in a container on the floor of the breeding cage ... no go so now I'm Mum.)

 

They've been in the brooder for 24 hours now, getting Roudybush formula. None of them are interested in taking the formula from a syringe so I'm crop feeding them. I've done it before, though never with something so small, and they seem to be doing well. The only issue I'm having is with the youngest baby. She's about 18 days old and she's always been a bit of a whiner - the first one to squawk when I looked into the nestbox, the last one to stop squawking after the hen went to check on them. Now that she's in the brooder she seems to be begging her siblings for food constantly, even with a full crop. I can't find a reason for any distress - the chicks are getting 10% bodyweight per feed, the food temp's right, their crops are clearing within 3-4 hours, the brooder's a nice comfy temperature, their droppings are reasonably formed ... all of them, including the youngest, seem active and alert.

 

Is there some issue with the formula that I should be aware of? Is she just missing her parents because she can hear them outside? Does she think she's not full because she hasn't had a feeding response? I do offer the syringe at each feed but they don't seem to recognise the formula as food. Is there another one that's better for budgies?

 

She's having a good nibble at my hand as though hoping it's edible, and hasn't shut up for at least the last 15 minutes

Edited August 3, 201113 yr by elf

You are doing a great job I just thought I had better mention a little known fact. Older siblings do feed the younger ones in the nestbox to help the parents out. So, this baby begging food from older siblings is a normal thing. Babies in the nestbox at age 2 and a half weeks will feed their brothers and sisters.

Looks like your doing a great job elf.

 

 

Sounds like you are doing a great job, glad it's you and not me, I tried it a couple of years ago.

Kaz, that makes me feel so much better! If begging from the older chicks is normal, hopefully she's just being the annoying youngest sibling and there's nothing actually wrong with her. I'll just grin and bear the noise, which is easier said than done when the brooder is in our bedroom (the noise doesn't stop just because the lights are out ).

 

Until I was forced to bring them in, I had decided to handle the babies rather than handraise them. This was not the plan! Three of them are earmarked as pets for my young children, so I'm really anxious to get it right - the kids would be devastated if one of their babies died.